


A Tour of Broken Glass and Flying

by fineandwittie



Category: Rush Hour (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, because i can't help myself, but i couldn't stop this one, episode tag: knock knock...house creeping, i'm still in the middle of the other fic, it's complete at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 19:32:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8257855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fineandwittie/pseuds/fineandwittie
Summary: Carter said a shit thing during the LA tour he and Gerald took Lee on. This was the aftermath.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Still not bet'd

Gerald disappeared when the tour was over, leaving Lee and Carter to make their way to DiDi’s alone. Gerald’s words echoed inside Carter’s head, his own response even louder in his ears.

He watched Lee get into the car, before getting in himself. He didn’t start the engine though, just sat staring at the wheel.

“Are we going to DiDi’s?” Lee finally asked.

Carter exhaled. “Yeah. Look…Lee, about what I said to Gerald earlier…”

“About us not being friends?”

Carter flinched at the flat tone of Lee’s voice. “Yeah. About that…Look….” He paused for a moment, trying to work out how to say what he needed Lee to know.

Lee jumped in before he could continue. “Carter, if you do not view me as a friend, I will not push you. I do not mean to be a burden.”

Carter flinched again. God, he fucked up. He shook his head. “No. Lee…listen…You know know where I grew up. You’ve met Gramma. I’ve…I still…”

Finally, he swallowed and turned to Lee, who was looking at him. Confusion was written clearly on Lee’s face, but his eyes were sad. “Lee, you are my friend. Maybe the best friend I got. I…Sometimes I react without thinking.”

“This is not new information to me.”

“Oh, ha ha.” Carter snorted. “I’m trying to have a moment here. Livin’ on the streets, and then in a group home…sometimes not havin’ connections, not havin’ friends, was better. Not showin’ people what you felt was just…safer, okay?”

Lee tilted his head, eyes warming a little. 

“It’s…sometimes, my past bleeds through, okay? Sometimes, I can’t stop myself from reacting like I used to. I know I shouldn’t still be like this. But it’s Gerald. And yeah, he’s my cousin, but he’s also part of the old crowd. And I’m sorry for what I said. It was a lie. I care about you, man. I wanted to make sure you knew that.”

Lee nodded, looking away. They sat in silence for another minute, before Carter leaned forward a little, trying to caught Lee’s gaze. “We okay, man?”

Lee looked up and his eyes were burning. Carter had never seen such an intensity in him. Within a few heartbeats, it was shuddered away, but not before Carter caught Lee’s gaze dropping to his mouth.

“Lee…” Lee’s eyes snapped back up to his. His face was blank, but fear seemed to roll off him. “Something you want to share with the class?”

Lee’s nostrils flared. “Nothing that will effect our working relationship or…our friendship.”

Carter watched him for a moment. A blush was creeping up Lee’s neck, something Carter had never seen before. He was completely still and yet somehow still gave the impression that he was nearly squirming in his seat. “Lee…Jonathan—“

Lee shuddered, visibly, when Carter said his name. Carter blinked. “Jonathan.” A sharp inhale and Lee’s eyes closed in what looked like defeat.

“Yes. Fine. I have feelings for you. Are you going to continue mocking me now or later?”

Carter jerked back, feeling as though he’d been slapped. “Is that what you think of me? That I’m that…callous?”

Lee looked away and said nothing.

“Huh. It seems strange to have feelings for someone who you think so little of.” Carter could hear the strain in his own voice, the bitterness. Lee flinched, but still didn’t speak.

Carter reached forward and started the car. “And besides, mocking you would make me a hypocrite.”

He pulled out of the parking spot as Lee twisted sharply to stare at his profile. “What?”

Carter, for once in his life, stayed silent as he pulled out onto the main road. DiDi’s house was a short fifteen minute drive from where they were, but it was going to feel like an eternity.

“Carter, what did you mean by that?”

Carter worked his jaw. His lungs felt full of glass. Finding out the man he’s been in love with for months has feelings for him should have been a moment of joy. Instead, he finds out that Lee might be in love with him, but he thinks he’s a mean bastard who would make fun of him for it. “Exactly what it sounded like.”

“It sounded like you are in love with me also.” Lee sounded strained, nearly desperate, but Carter wasn’t going to turn and see.

“Yeah. That’s what it sounded like.”

“Carter…James, what—“

“That you think so little of me…Lee, that might be the worst thing anyone’s ever said to me. Mostly because you’re the one saying it.”

Lee reached out a trembling hand and touched Carter’s thigh. Carter rolled to a stop at the best placed red light ever and glanced over at him. He looked more desperate than he sounded. “James, I’m sorry. I did not mean…I apologize. I thought…”

“What exactly did you think, Lee?” Carter knew his voice was too sharp, but couldn’t seem to modulate his tone.

Lee flinched back, taking his hand away. “In Hong Kong, in China…things are different. It is…not acceptable to make overtures to a man that you think is not homosexual.”

Carter frowned and glanced sidelong at Lee. “You thought I was straight? Seriously?”

“You make advances only to women.”

“Nu-uh. I hit on men too. I hit on you all the time.” Carter paused and glanced at Lee again. He was looking down at his hands. “You thought I was making fun? Every time, you thought I was making fun and you didn’t say anything?”

Lee looked out the window. “Things are different here. I did not know…And you seemed so…jovial about it. I thought perhaps you were…teasing. Teasing is something friends do, yes? But I could not…I would not have been able to stand it if you teased about this. I never imagined…”

“Jesus. We were seriously not on the same page on this one.” Carter shook his head. 

He pulled up in front of DiDi’s and threw the car into park before hopping out. Lee was already out of the car by the time he made around to his side. “Look, Jonathan, there are about a million things that we need to talk about here. Including the fact that it’s never okay to tease someone about their sexuality and if that ever happens you need to tell me or report their ass. But first…You’re in love with me?”

Lee swallowed hard, but nodded. 

“Good. I’m in love with you. Kiss me?” Carter grinned at him, chest filling up with liquid warmth. Lee took the last step and seized Carter’s face in both hands, pressing their mouths together. Carter sighed into the kiss, his lips parting, and Lee slipped his tongue between them.

They stayed like that, kissing and pressed together for an eternity, until a sharp wolf-whistle broke them apart. Lee dropped his forehead onto Carter’s shoulder and Carter tightened his arms around Lee’s waist. DiDi and Gerald were standing on the porch, grinning. Gerald broke into a slow clap, calling, “I guess you’re more than work-friendly, huh, Cuz?”

“Shut up, Gerald. Let me enjoy my moment. I’ve got a hot Chinese dude in my arms and we’re in love and you? You got squat.”

Lee started shaking and Carter looked down at where he seemed to be trying to burrow into Carter’s chest, alarmed. His eyes went wide when he realized that Lee was laughing. “You went from denying that we were friends to yelling to the whole neighborhood that we are in love in the course of two hours.”

Carter shrugged, grinning. “What can I say? I’m good like that.”

Lee thew his head back and laughed. Carter was entranced. The light from the DiDi’s porch mixed with the moonlight to catch in Lee’s hair. His eyes were sparkling. Carter leaned in and tried to kiss the laughter right out of his mouth. It was sloppy and ridiculous, but Carter could not get enough.

He could hear DiDi laughing in the background. Gerald was still slow clapping.

Kissing Lee, feeling Lee’s warmth beneath his hands, made him feel like he could fly. He’d take an eternity of the crushed glass feeling from earlier if it meant he could have Jonathan Lee, just like this, for the rest of his life.


End file.
